Genesis 15:17–21
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We live in an age of flimsy promises, of crossed fingers and fine print. Our contracts are hedged, our vows are provisional, and our commitments last only as long as they are convenient. But when we come to the covenants of God, we are in an entirely different universe of discourse. In our text today, we come to one of the most solemn and foundational moments in all of Scripture. Abram, having believed God's promise of a son, now asks for assurance regarding the promise of the land. And God's answer is not a set of logical proofs or a warm feeling. God's answer is a covenant, a bond in blood, a sworn oath. The ceremony described here, with the divided carcasses, was a known practice in the ancient Near East. But what happens here in Genesis 15 is utterly staggering, and it turns all human notions of covenant-making on their head.